Learning and development (L&D) managers often need help to create a corporate training program for employees at their businesses. If you're overseeing learning initiatives for your organization, creating a progress-tracking system and conducting quality training workshops for your workforce can get difficult.
In the face of such challenges, learning management systems (LMS) can be an effective investment. LMS software serves as a centralized hub for creating, storing, and sharing employee training material and tracking learning progress of each team member.
To help you make the right decision, this article highlights, in alphabetical order, the 5 top-rated learning management system software for small businesses based on user reviews. For each product, we include overall user ratings along with the highest-rated parameter, review excerpts from industry professionals, and product pricing. Read more.
1. Adobe Learning Manager
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used Adobe Learning Manager:
"The features of Adobe Captivate Prime are easy and straight forward. Its very fun to use, from it i can choose all the types of animations and graphics to make my presentations more interesting to my teammates. It makes it easy for me to track and manage my course and the work that i have done. I really like that the best lms platform is also affordable, they have incredible packages."
"I like being able to share learning materials with my colleagues in the e-learning industry. The interaction on this platform is fantastic because we can share our knowledge, form opinions, and rate learning materials to set a good example for other readers."
"After using Adobe Learning Manager, I can confidently say that it is the best e-learning platform on the market. It offers an incredibly user-friendly interface, a wealth of features and customization options, a learning content library and analytics tools. I highly recommend this platform to anyone looking to create and manage online courses."
Read more Adobe Learning Manager reviews here.
2. Blackboard Learn
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used Blackboard Learn:
"Blackboard learn lms is one of the most easier and intuitive softwares that I have ever used. I really like it because its video conferencing and course content platform is really easy to use and has a very powerful tool called "Safe Assign”.”
"This is a very straight forward learning program software for students during college, I liked that it was easy to access and you were able to communicate with instructors and classmates without compromising your personal information."
"Blackboard is an easy lms to learn and usually intuitively easy for any goal you have. It helps coordinate large teams or classes, and with creative use can be set up to use most styles of teaching (group discussions, online learning, video/attachments, etc.)"
Read more Blackboard Learn reviews here.
3. Brightspace
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used Brightspace:
"Brightspace is user-friendly and really easy to find what you're looking for. The useability, however, depends mainly on the professor/teacher/whoever that may set up the course. Currently, everything is laid out in weeks, so each "module" contains what is due that week. Very simple to use, from a student standpoint."
"The lms solution is very easy to use. Easy to access quizzes, assignments, grades, and track your progress. It's also very easy to see announcements and any work you need to get done."
"The product has a clear layout and is easy to use. It is simple to navigate to the different sections as well as see any grades or announcements that have occurred. I like that it allows you to pin the most important classes you're focusing on. It also has a feature that reads announcements aloud to those who are visually impaired."
Read more Brightspace reviews here.
4. Moodle
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used Moodle:
"Moodle lms is a good product that services my needs appropriately. A good platform for creating courses. I first encountered Moodle when I enrolled at an online university in Zambia that utilizes the same platform for providing their courses, It runs smoothly without any problems and has a good user experience. It is easy to use without online training content and has a nice user interface that allows the user to navigate quickly."
"Moodle is the type of software that I have been looking for a long time. It has all the features and resources I need to help me get through my teaching/consulting journey. The interface is intuitive and easy to use, even for someone like me with no programming background whatsoever. This is one of the best tools out there for trainers!"
"I had used this software during my time as a college student and found the class resources, scheduling and records easy-to-access and made online learning a much more enjoyable experience. The implementation of document uploads to submit assignments with multiple supported file formats and updating versions of files when needed within the program made submission a breeze."
Read more Moodle reviews here.
5. TalentLMS
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used TalentLMS:
"It's really easy to use, and our learners are very happy with the platform because it's very user-friendly. The support is amazing and they are always on hand to help."
"Very easy to implement and create courses quickly, very nice design, dashboard and stats are great, Helpdesk very responsive and helpful, super useful to have free account for unlimited time to be able to test the talent LMS features in and out, reasonable pricing, active users pricing for employee training.”
"So far it's been great. We're already getting feedback from our users (sales people mostly from our customers) and regardless of the quality of the learning content, their experience compared to our previous platform is already better."
Read more TalentLMS reviews here.
What features do LMS tools offer?
The core features of learning management system software tools include:
Course management: | Create an offline or online course, organize it, and assign it to employees. |
Course tracking: | Track progress and which training course materials have been completed by employees. |
All products listed in this report include the features mentioned above. Besides these core features, learning management system tools also commonly tend to offer:
Activity dashboard
Assessment management
Asynchronous learning
Blended learning
Built-in course authoring
Certification and licensing
Compliance tracking
Learning content library
Course authoring
Customizable branding
Extended enterprise learning
Gradebook
Learner portal
Learning management
Learning paths/tracks
Mobile learning
Progress reports
How to choose the right LMS software for your business?
Check for training and support options that vendors provide. The LMS system should have comprehensive training options for course instructors, user guides for administrators, and responsive customer support to assist administrators, instructors, and learners effectively. Such functionality increases user acceptance and encourages broader adoption across the organization.
Assess the customization options that the software provides. Ideally, it would help if you had flexible software to customize adaptive learning paths based on individual learner needs. Additionally, the software should let you create customized assessments and quizzes according to your training goals and evaluation criteria.
Check the security and data privacy aspects of the software. Effective security measures, such as two-factor authentication and role-based access, should be available to protect user data, ensure secure login, and comply with privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Such security measures ensure that learning and educational data remain accurate, compliant, and consistent, providing users with reliable and trustworthy information for learning and decision-making.
Common questions to ask learning management software vendors before purchase
Is the LMS platform responsive and accessible on various devices?
It is crucial that the learning management system you purchase provides mobile accessibility for your employees to help provide seamless virtual knowledge transfer and ensure that their digital learning doesn't get disrupted. The ideal LMS platform should be mobile-responsive and accessible on various devices for your team, enabling them to learn even when they’re on the go.
How does the LMS support compliance training and regulatory requirements?
An ideal learning management system provides automated training assignments to new employees and also tracks the completion of compliance modules and certifications. The tool should also provide reporting capabilities to ensure all compliance and regulatory training needs are met.
Are there any gamification features to enhance learner engagement?
Learning management systems should provide gamification features, such as badges, points, and leaderboards, along with interactive quizzes to motivate employees and make their learning experience more engaging.